# Where do question marks go in complicated sentences? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855 "2005-12-09T10:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/1 "2005-12-09T10:32:30Z")
Is it right to put a question mark at the end of the sentence if the rest of the sentence is not a question, which is a point that has often bothered me as it doesnt look right. (?) Again, does one put a put a question mark before or after a parenthesis (like this one)? OK one could rewrite the above passages but assuming one didn’t want to? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/2 "2005-12-09T11:25:42Z")
Put the question mark after the parentheses, as you did. And while I don’t have any cites or a style manual nearby, I’m pretty certain that if the sentence contains a question, you always put a question mark at the end, although I tend to write my sentences so that it isn’t a problem. “A point which has always bothered me, as it often doesn’t look right, is: is it right to put a question mark at the end of the sentence if the rest of the sentence is not a question?” or instead of “Do we have to go, because I really don’t feel well?” as “I really don’t feel well, do we have to go?” I’m sure someone will be along with more unquestionable cites. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/3 "2005-12-09T11:26:46Z")
I swear, that last line of the OP just didn’t exist when I first read it 😛 ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/4 "2005-12-09T13:58:33Z")
“A point which has always bothered me, as it often doesn’t look right, is **the following** : is it right to put a question mark at the end of the sentence if the rest of the sentence is not a question?” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/5 "2005-12-09T15:12:03Z")
If used, the question mark should go at the end of the sentence. We recently “did” whether it goes inside or outside the closing quotation marks when applicable. (Loose summary: ask yourself whether it is the quotation or the sentence incorporating it which is the question.) Will you allow me to observe, though, that rhetorical questions and request-style sentences, even though constructed in interrogative mode, may properly be ended with a period rather than a question mark, like this one. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/6 "2005-12-09T15:59:38Z")
[hijack] At least you should feel lucky you’re not writing in Spanish, because there you have to also decide where to put the _initial_ question mark. Sometimes the start of the sentence seems right, sometimes the start of the phrase, and sometimes I just can’t figure out where to put the darned thing. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/7 "2005-12-09T16:00:59Z")
Odd. I had never heard that it would go anywhere but at the start of a sentence (or, the start of a quotation), but then again it was only high school Spanish and that was… longer ago than I care to acknowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/8 "2005-12-09T16:08:35Z")
I know there are ways to rephrase these to make the problem go away, but I am interested in the particular question of how to use question marks and commas in a paraphrased quote. **A.** “Am I accused of being a crook?” President Nixon asked. **B.** \*“Am I accused of being a crook?,” President Nixon asked. **C.** Was he being accused of being a crook? President Nixon asked. **D.** Was he being accused of being a crook?, President Nixon asked. **A** is correct under our house style guide and **B** is not correct. But what about **C** and **D**? Which is correct? I would say **C** , but that bare quotation mark in the middle of the sentence looks odd. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/9 "2005-12-09T16:14:09Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > OK one could rewrite the above passages but assuming one didn’t want to? If the sentences are poorly written, you can put the question marks anywhere you wish; they will always look out of place. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/10 "2005-12-09T16:14:56Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > IOK one could rewrite the above passages but assuming one didn’t want to? Sometimes if one wants the sentence to be correct, one must rewrite it, whether one wants to or not. Punctuation can’t fix everything. ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/11 "2005-12-09T16:57:32Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I know there are ways to rephrase these to make the problem go away, but I am interested in the particular question of how to use question marks and commas in a paraphrased quote. > > **A.** “Am I accused of being a crook?” President Nixon asked. > > **B.** \*“Am I accused of being a crook?,” President Nixon asked. > > **C.** Was he being accused of being a crook? President Nixon asked. > > **D.** Was he being accused of being a crook?, President Nixon asked. > > **A** is correct under our house style guide and **B** is not correct. But what about **C** and **D**? Which is correct? I would say **C** , but that bare quotation mark in the middle of the sentence looks odd. When I write for school projects (using MLA most of the time) I go with A. B doesn’t seem right to me, because you already have a punctuation mark (?) and it doesn’t seem like you’d immediately need another (,). I can see the need for that comma when quoting declarative sentences, but not for interrogatives. C and D don’t seem right at all to me. You’re ultimately making a statement, so maybe a slight reformat would be better, such as: President Nixon asked if he was being accused of being a crook. As I look at my sentence, it strikes me that I’d try to figure out a way not to use “being” twice like that, but that’s just a matter of preference. I’m an English major, but I am not as good as most others on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/12 "2005-12-09T17:35:20Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I know there are ways to rephrase these to make the problem go away, but I am interested in the particular question of how to use question marks and commas in a paraphrased quote. > > **A.** “Am I accused of being a crook?” President Nixon asked. > > **B.** \*“Am I accused of being a crook?,” President Nixon asked. > > **C.** Was he being accused of being a crook? President Nixon asked. > > **D.** Was he being accused of being a crook?, President Nixon asked. > > **A** is correct under our house style guide and **B** is not correct. But what about **C** and **D**? Which is correct? I would say **C** , but that bare quotation mark in the middle of the sentence looks odd. Fowler would _disapprove_ of both, but admits **C** as a valid form. A much better way of putting it indirectly is “President Nixon asked if he was accused of being a crook.” with no question mark at all. It’s always better to rearrange the sentence than try and force the punctuation into something unnatural. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/13 "2005-12-09T17:50:11Z")
> [@Tevildo](#): > > Fowler would _disapprove_ of both, but admits **C** as a valid form. A much better way of putting it indirectly is “President Nixon asked if he was accused of being a crook.” with no question mark at all. It’s always better to rearrange the sentence than try and force the punctuation into something unnatural. I know about recasting the sentence, but in my line of work it is sometimes necessary to use the form I’m asking about. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/14 "2005-12-09T18:23:33Z")
From a grammar geek…generally, the question mark stays closest with the text to which it applies, but cannot be used to create a question out of a non-question sentence. If the question was asked by the person who is being quoted, the mark goes inside the quotes, to wit: > [@](#): > > “Was he being accused of being a crook?” President Nixon asked. The above implies Nixon said those exact words. > [@](#): > > Was he being accused of being a crook, President Nixon asked. The above is not an literal quote (the speaker did not use those exact words), so there are no quote marks. I know it seems like a question mark might go at the end of the sentence, but I think that would be improper usage. So the above is OK. Rewriting the line, as others have suggested, would remove the ambiguity, or: > [@](#): > > “Am I being accused of being a crook?” President Nixon asked. The above, assuming it is exactly what was said, might be better. I can’t think of an example where two punctuation marks would immediately follow each other. The strongest should be used as a substitute for two. I recommend [The Gregg Reference Manual,](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0072936533/qid=1134152330/sr=8-9/ref=pd_bbs_9/002-5038988-5431203?n=507846&s=books&v=glance) a spiral-bound book that should never be far from a writer’s elbow. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/15 "2005-12-09T22:02:14Z")
Just to further muddle things, there are times when you do put question marks in the middle of a sentence, and times when you put them in parentheses, too. Examples: I bought the book, “_How Do Dinosaurs Say Good-Night?_” today. The ingredients include corn, black beans, rutabagas (why are they using rutabagas?), black-eyed peas, and onions. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/16 "2005-12-11T11:54:14Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > If the sentences are poorly written, you can put the question marks anywhere you wish; they will always look out of place. > [@Scarlett67](#): > > Sometimes if one wants the sentence to be correct, one must rewrite it, whether one wants to or not. Punctuation can’t fix everything. :smack: consider myself smacked tx ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/17 "2005-12-11T13:33:24Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Just to further muddle things, there are times when you do put question marks in the middle of a sentence, and times when you put them in parentheses, too. Examples: > > I bought the book, “_How Do Dinosaurs Say Good-Night?_” today. > > The ingredients include corn, black beans, rutabagas (why are they using rutabagas?), black-eyed peas, and onions. Dashes are the equivalent of parentheses in this regard. **Jack earned his college degree in two years–can you imagine that?–before he explored a career in theater.** By the way, I don’t believe you should put the book title in quotes. Italicizing does the trick (or underlining if you use an old-fashioned typewriter where choosing italics is not an option). And the comma before the title is unnecessary, I think. **I bought the book _How Do Dinosaurs Say Good-Night?_ today.** ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/18 "2005-12-12T14:25:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Was he being accused of being a crook, President Nixon asked. > > The above is not an literal quote (the speaker did not use those exact words), so there are no quote marks. I know it seems like a question mark might go at the end of the sentence, but I think that would be improper usage. So the above is OK. Rewriting the line, as others have suggested, would remove the ambiguity, or: But … “Was he being accused of being a crook?” _is_ a question, in question form. It’s not a declarative statement. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/19 "2005-12-12T14:26:49Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > By the way, I don’t believe you should put the book title in quotes. This is a matter of style. Some publications italicize; some use quotation marks. You have to follow the style of whatever publication you’re writing for (if that applies). Otherwise, it’s a matter of personal choice. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855/20 "2005-12-12T15:13:26Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > This is a matter of style. Some publications italicize; some use quotation marks. You have to follow the style of whatever publication you’re writing for (if that applies). Otherwise, it’s a matter of personal choice. You get a “yahbut” on this one. True, always follow the style which your editor calls for. But 99.44% of editors will expect you to follow the standard usage: You _italicize_ (or underscore) the title of a “standalone” publication thicker than a leaflet; you put inside quotation marks the title of an incorporated publication which does not stand alone, including short pamphlets and tracts. “Heinlein’s ‘The Green Hills of Earth’ was first published in the _Saturday Evening Post_.” Or, “Bishop Green’s tract on ‘Proper Setup for a Eucharist’ was excerpted from his _Complete Guide to Liturgical Celebrations_.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-question-marks-go-in-complicated-sentences/334855.md?page=2)